About the Celebration

This fall, we are celebrating the long and proud history of public power in Wisconsin. We know from research that fewer than 20% of people are familiar with the existence of the public power business model. Public power utilities are owned by the local community or government entity, allowing for greater control over rates, service quality, and decision-making processes.

We think it’s important to educate people about the importance of public power utilities and their vital role in the lives of hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin residents and businesses. Oftentimes, larger companies have the ears of legislators and what’s important to small municipal utilities can get lost. Every customer needs a voice, regardless of the size of their community. By physically bringing together municipal utilities from across the state and showcasing the service they provide across the state, we’re helping to amplify our voice. 

In the fall of 1928, municipal leaders came together to “present a stronger and more unified approach” to ensure municipal electric utilities across Wisconsin had a voice in happenings at the state capitol. Officers were elected, bylaws were drafted, and the Wisconsin Municipal Utilities Association — today’s MEUW — was founded on October 18, 1928. To commemorate this important anniversary and celebrate all that’s special about public power, MEUW members and supporters plan a daylong celebration in Madison to mark 95 years since MEUW’s founding.

We hope you’ll join us as we celebrate 95 years!